Escaping the heat
I’m glad you are able to access the internet Jenny! I’m also happy to hear that when you went back to the shop the staff had kept hold of your cable for you. Are there many internet cafes in Xi’an? Do many people have computers where you live?
Smoking is also very cheap in Japan compared with the UK. Not only that, but you can buy cigarettes from vending machines on almost every street in the city. There are about 6 or 7 cigarette vending machines within a five-minute walk from my flat. I think the Japanese government should levy a higher tax on cigarettes in order to reduce the number of people who smoke.
I really love summer. In the UK, summer means strawberries and cream, going for a drive into the country, spending a lazy afternoon in a pub and watching the sun go down at about 10pm. When I experienced my first Japanese summer everything changed. Summer in Japan is a whole other experience. It means watermelons and eel, being woken up to the sound of Cicadas, amazing summer festivals with fireworks and spending days inside to escape the heat. It is unbelievably hot and humid here now. I know how you feel about needing to take a shower after cooking. Sometimes, I feel the need to take a shower after walking to the shops! I still enjoy the season as much as I can, though.
In order to escape the heat, I’m going away for a few days to Nagano in the Japanese Alps next week. Of course, I’ll keep blogging while I’m there. I’m really interested to know what summer means to you in Xi’an. How about other learners from around the world? I’m really looking forward to finding out!
Lewis
Today’s useful English
(to) access the internet
(to) keep hold of something (for someone)
(to be) (adjective) in (somewhere) compared with (somewhere)
a five-minute walk
(to) go for a drive/swim/walk
(to) watch the sun go down
(to) be woken up (to the sound of something)
(to) escape the heat
(to) feel the need to do something
(to) go away (for a few days)
Comments
I am wearing heavy clothes trying to escape the COLD. It is supposed to be the summer, but summer in the capital of Yemen, Sana'a, means lots of rainy days. That is another word of saying that the weather is really cold during most of the summer days. So many people say that we are blessed by such weather. Actually so many tourists come here for the weather mainly then the historical sites.
You do remind me what i had experienced in the UK. I agree what you said about the weather in the UK and Japan. However i think it's much more hotter in south of China. -.-" especially, if you are in a city center. If i could choose where is the best contry to live in? I'd like to say it must be UK. Why? coz of the weather there is just fine. it's not too cold and not so hot. And lots of pretty girls in bikini and lots of handsome boys with stronge figure is also a fantastic reason to spend summer in the UK. And Brighton is one of the loveliest city i've ever been. ^^
hello, you might not understand if i say i have missed the summer that you have now, because it feels like summer has gone and autumn sets in.it's been cool and it's rained on and off for a week where i am. When i was in homeland i used to have sauna with my family and we would drink really really cold beer and chated away in the roating summer nights. it made me feel like being in haven.have a fabulous time!!!!!!!
In zhejiang province, the eastern part of China, most companies, industries , families use air-conditioner to escape the heat. However, it's easy to get conditioner complications if staying long time in the room with the air-conditioner. Therefore, some people run out of the big city to enjoy the cool feeling in some scenery spot and in countryside; Some people will go to the abandoned bomb shelters to enjoy the coolness ; some people go to drink or eat in some gardens at night to cool themselves; most people stay at home under the air- conditioner watching TV. The problem is that the charge of electricity is a bit expensive to people whose financial income are below the average level ,especially old people. Take my grandparents for example, both of them are above 70 years old. They are very economy and only use fans to cool themselves instead of using their air-conditioner which will cost more electricity .
Most of the time,here in Algiers, we've got canicular summers,with T° sometimes over 40°C.So, you can easily understand that, under such a threatening sun,people often rush to the seaside hoping to find there a gentle little breeze..That was exactly what we've done with some friends last week end,but as we arrived,we found the beach unusually uncrowded...we soon understood why:The wind began to blow so strongly,whisking the sand,that we almost believe that Ali Baba will appear...We decided to stay though,with the ferm resolution to never ever miss the weatherforecast even in midsummer!
In Hong Kong, the weather is hot & humid in summer. It's not a good experience walking outdoor. Fortunately, all shopping centres are indoor and airconditioned. We have crazy sales during summer so it attracts many tourists come here to buy somethings which is cheap and cheerful.
We are after of a very hot July. We had an extremely hot weather, it was 34°C-36°C in the warmest part of the day. It is unusual for our country in July.It was really scorching and sweltering. People were advised not to go out in the heat if they are elderly, with small children, or have breathing problems. Now the temperatures are cooling off. It has been raining for two weeks.The sky is cloudy. It is very cold for the middle of summer. It is like autumn. I don´t like this rapid fall of temperatures. It is not good for people who have some health problems. Summer means for me lots of work. We have quite a big garden with a lot of fruit and vegetables. I had to can them. I canned cucumbers, green beans, peaches, apricots, nectarines and so on. It is a lot of work, but it is so nice to can fruit and vegetables out of the garden. It saves money and it tastes better.
i miss the handmade trife and cheecake topped with blackberries in that summer of UK when i studied there.
Thanks for all your great comments guys. It was fascinating to find out such varied meanings of summer.
Thanks for all your contributions. This blog has now closed and can no longer accept new comments.
